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tv   ABC World News With David Muir  ABC  September 30, 2012 5:30pm-6:00pm PDT

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welcome to "world news." tonight, countdown. three days to go before the first presidential debate. tonight, mixed messages as both candidates try to lower expectations. republican chris christie ups the ante saying mitt romney will turn the race upside down in the debate. >> you're going to be shaking your head saying it's a brand-new race. our political team with three things to watch for. taking sides, the controversial case unfolding tonight, the mother of five shot and killed by a u.s. border agent, but what happened just beforehand? tonight two very different accounts. lake invaders. what's happening to america's lakes? the living, breathing organism that can now be seen from space and the threat the families living nearby. tonight, our correspondent right in the middle of it with the new warning. and sidelined. for the first time we're hearing from one of those replacement refs. the moment that had even the ref wanting to cry. what he's saying about it all.
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good evening. it is great to have you with us here on a sunday night. there are just 37 days until the election, but tonight we are focused on a more urgent countdown. just three days until that crucial first debate between president obama and governor romney. the first chance for voters to see the candidates side by side in what many say is a make-or-break opportunity for governor romney to try to narrow that gap in the polls. tonight both sides in debate prep, both sides trying to lower expectations, but there was a notable exception that one of romney's top supporters predicted on abc's "this week." it's "your voice, your vote," and abc's david kerley starts us off tonight in washington. >> reporter: mitt romney went to church, but this sunday wasn't a day just for prayers. it's preparation. cramming by the candidates for their big debate, and republican chris christie made a bold prediction on abc's "this week." >> every time mitt romney has been confronted in this campaign with one of these moments, he has come through in the debate and performed extraordinarily well, so i have absolute
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confidence that when we get to thursday morning, george, all of you are going to be shaking your head saying it's a brand-new race. >> reporter: christie is way off the romney campaign script. they're trying to lower expectations. >> look, president obama is a very -- he's a very gifted speaker. the man has been on the national stage for many years. this is mitt's first time on this kind of a stage. >> reporter: paul ryan, the vice presidential nominee, who is preparing for his own debate, again avoided giving details of the romney tax plan, even when pressed. >> you haven't given me the math. >> i don't have the -- it would take me too long to go through all of the math. >> reporter: the president is in nevada tonight for what insiders call three days of debate camp at a resort outside of las vegas. they too are trying to lower expectations and believe accounts that the romney campaign is convinced debates are about moments. >> the idea that i'm anti-immigrant is repulsive. >> reporter: and romney will come armed with several one-liners. >> clearly they've been practicing these zingers and lines for months, so i'm sure they'll have a bunch of clever
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line, but that's ultimately not what the american people are looking for. >> reporter: the president is being coached to be crisper, to shorten his answers, and a former democratic candidate says mr. obama needs to avoid being irritable. >> but he's got to relax. he's got to show it, and he's got to show a little sense of humor. he's got to show why he's likable. >> reporter: the debate is set for 90 minutes on wednesday night. it's all on domestic issues. the first half, jobs and the economy. the second half, health care and other domestic issues. david? >> david kerley in washington tonight. david, thanks very much. i want to bring in abc news political analyst matt dowd who has advised both republican and democratic campaigns. matt, as always, it's great to have you with us. >> great to be here, david. >> you have three things for everyone to watch for. one of the things you point out, body language could have a bigger impact than words, and we remember al gore, george bush and jon stewart having a field day with those sighs. >> i've had a record of that in texas. >> as if the sighing weren't bad enough, gore's behavior got worse. [ laughter ]
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>> in that same year we remember that moment when al gore got up, walked over towards then governor bush, and this was his reaction. >> trying to get things done, and i believe i can. [ laughter ] >> famous moment. years prior there was president h.w. bush checking his watch at the debates. these have become famous moments. are these debate prep teams telling their candidates, this is what you don't do? >> at this point in time they're emphasizing style as opposed to substance right now because debates that have changed people's minds have all been about physical characteristics and mannerisms really in the modern age and not about the substance of the policy answers, so they're paying a lot of attention to the style and not the substance. >> you can almost watch the debate with the volume down and determine who wins the thing. you point out something else and you were at this next debate. this was an image from senator kerry taking on an incumbent president, george w. bush and say by simply showing up, the challenger has a lot to gain. >> yeah, when they stand on the same stage as the president of the united states, then you basically become almost an equal at that point in time, and that
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race went from a seven-point lead to a one-point lead in 48 hours, and that's what the challenger was able to do. john kerry won it and took the race to almost even within two days. >> so a big opportunity for mitt romney this week. >> a huge opportunity for mitt romney. he could take this race in the states that he's losing right now and change the dynamic of this race just by standing on stage and performing well. >> so much riding on it. this first debate, viewers, anywhere between 50 million, 60 million viewers are the estimates. this year more important than ever the early voting that's taking place. >> early voting has taken place in key states like iowa right now and voters willing watching now, and voters are going to be wanting this. they're already voting, and the best thing about this debate for these guys, it's the first authentic moment in a while where voters want to tune in and pay attention. it's not a television ad, it's not a convention but a real authentic moment they really take cues from. >> it's something to think about. by election day a third of american voters might have already gone to the poll. >> campaigns used to have to plan toward one election day and now they can plan toward 30 or 35 election days, and that's why this debate is crucial because voting is already going on. >> all right. matt dowd with us in new york
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tonight. matt, our thanks to you, and special coverage "one on one" begins at 9:00 p.m. on wednesday night. diane and george. i'll be in denver with jake tapper and the entire political team here wednesday night. we move on to washington and a memorable sight in church today at the cathedral of st. matthew the apostle. six supreme court justices attending the annual red mass held every year on the day before they begin their new term. the court is expected to grapple with several hot button issues this term include ing same-sex marriage, affirmative action and the voting rights act. this will be the first time the court will be in session since that dramatic ruling last june upholding president obama's health care law. overseas now to afghanistan and a stark reminder tonight of the human cost of war. an attack at a checkpoint left two americans dead, one a serviceman. the 2,000th u.s. military death since the war began. abc's muhammad lila is in the region tonight for us. muhammad. >> reporter: david, some officials are describing this as a firefight between american troops and the very afghan soldiers they were working alongside.
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for reasons that aren't yet clear, it appears as though there were some sort of confrontation at one of the many checkpoints that american troops are often stationed at. there was an exchange of gunfire. at first the coalition called it an insider attack at the hands of afghan forces, but later they said the taliban might have been involved. now, whatever the reason, the 2,000th american killed in afghanistan is certainly a very grim milestone. this comes just as we are days away from the 11-year anniversary of combat in afghanistan, and there is another number to consider, 68,000 american troops are now in afghanistan increasingly under threat not just from their enemies but also their so-called allies. david? >> muhammad lila tonight, thank you. back in this country, meanwhile, there are troubling new questions about airport security. we're learning this evening that twice in the last week, agents with the transportation security administration, the tsa, allowed loaded guns to through airport checkpoints.
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here tonight, abc's mark greenblatt. >> reporter: in the latest black eye for tsa, a loaded .38 caliber gun like this went undetected by screeners. new orleans hornets' executive joshua richardson says he mistakenly flew with it from new orleans to newark. just one day earlier in orlando, they missed another loaded gun, this time in a firefighter's carry-on bag. that gun made it onto the plane. >> well, scary but surprising. >> so i would say generally i have found them very thorough, and i'm surprised they missed something like that. >> reporter: some in congress worry this has all become business as usual. >> unfortunately, the reports i get, it's not just this one weapon. it's hundreds of items every day, but it can't be tolerated. >> reporter: it's more unwanted scrutiny for the agency on the heels of an investigation by abc's brian ross into possible theft by tsa agents, which tracked a missing ipad to the home of this officer. >> my wife says she got the ipad and brought it home. >> reporter: you know, that can't be true because the last time we saw it, it was in your hands. >> reporter: that officer was
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fired, but as for their record on security, the tsa said it's had many successes, confiscating 1,100 weapons so far this year, 29 guns just last week alone. still, when it comes to all the blunders, many now think the tsa's own screeners need better screening themselves. >> i think it goes back to the type of hiring they did, the educational requirements that they were allowed to put in place, which were not high enough, in my view. >> reporter: now, as for that officer that let a firefighter carry a gun right through security, tsa says the person responsible has been pulled from duty this week with possibly more disciplinary action to come. david? >> mark greenblatt, thank you. and from the tsa under fire to a border patrol agent under fire. the agent shot and killed a mother of five while she was in the driver's seat of her car. there are two very different accounts of what happened just before that shooting, and here's abc's reena ninan now. >> reporter: a makeshift
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memorial to honor a mother of five who family and friends say shouldn't have died at the hands of a u.s. border agent. >> i think we're all shocked, and we want answers. >> we just want justice, that's it. >> reporter: there are varying accounts of how 32-year-old valeria alvarado was killed in her car friday night during a confrontation with a plainclothes agent serving an arrest warrant to another individual in the neighborhood. >> she stops right here, backs up a little bit. you see the guy coming from -- walking from behind the car coming to the front and just shooting like 10, 12 bullets at her. >> next thing you know, he gets to the car, he opens the door and pulls out his badge like that. i'm like, whoa, that should have been the first thing. >> reporter: local police officials have a different story saying she drove into the agent for reasons that are still not clear. >> and literally ran our agent down. the agent actually was impacted, was hit by the vehicle and carried several hundred yards on the hood before fearing for his life. >> reporter: and police say that's when he fired his gun at least five times according to witnesses killing her. the entire incident unnerving this california community.
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>> yeah, i want justice. yes, whoever shot my wife, that guy, whoever he is, he needs to get shot. yeah, he needs to get justice served. you don't shoot an innocent person. >> reporter: police have gone house to house searching for eyewitnesses as part of this investigation. they are still awaiting an autopsy report. david? >> reena ninan in our washington bureau tonight, reena, thank you. now to that alarming problem overtaking some of america's lakes. we even saw it in washington, d.c., this week at the lincoln memorial where the famous reflecting pool was filled with clumps of green. it is happening all across america making some people very sick, and here's our senior national correspondent jim avila tonight. >> reporter: it's an assault on nearly all the senses, a living, breathing, growing toxic organism known as blue-green algae, at its worst this month. >> that's very much alive. >> gosh. it smells bad. whoo. >> reporter: caking america's
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lakes so thick, the swirling slime can actually be seen in photos from space. >> people that used to be here after a couple years said, we just can't handle it anymore, they left. >> reporter: tom koren runs the marina at lake petenwell, wisconsin, or tries to. >> nobody wants to swim in this water, and nobody wants to boat in it. >> reporter: it not only looks bad and smells bad, it's toxic, and those who are unlucky enough to fall in without a suit like this get sick pretty fast. dan jenkins didn't even go in the lake next to his house, but his dog, casey, did. >> he's covered in this carpet of green slime. >> reporter: it made breathing difficult, and within weeks -- >> casey had started walking sideways. >> reporter: 72 hours later, he died, and his owner, dan, was partially paralyzed. >> oh, it hit me hard. wobbling around like that, it would make me mad. i mean, it was a fight. >> reporter: he still hasn't recovered, and a joint investigation by abc news and the food and environment reporting network found more than 100 reported illnesses due to blue-green algae exposure. >> essentially if we don't solve this problem, somebody's going to die.
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>> reporter: ohio state's dr. jeffery reutter is the foremost authority on blue-green algae. he says it's a nationwide problem, largely caused by farm fertilizer runoff. the cure, he says, is convincing farmers to carefully fertilize so the nutrients stay on the fields and not in the water. >> otherwise, these blooms are going to continue to grow. the human health problems that we see are going to increase. >> reporter: assaulting our senses, our economy and our health. jim avila, abc news, lake petenwell, wisconsin. >> our thanks to jim tonight. and in los angeles, a bridge demolition that forced officials to shut one of america's busiest highways, the 405 freeway went according to plan. fears of a massive traffic nightmare, the so-called carmageddon, were not realized. drivers steered clear of the area, and the lanes are expected to re-open as planned for the morning commute. there is still much more ahead on "world news" this sunday night. for the first time one of those replacement refs on the field speaking out about that controversial call that captured
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the attention of the entire country. what that ref is saying about that call tonight. [ feedback ] attention, well, everyone. you can now try snapshot from progressive free for 30 days. just plug this into your car, and your good driving can save you up to 30%. you could even try it without switching your insurance. why not give it a shot? carry on. now you can test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today. throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+.
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my brother doesn't look like a heart attack patient. i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm a fighter and now i don't have that fear. well, as you likely noticed the nfl's professional referees are back on the field today after that outrageous
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call at monday's packers/seahawks game. the replacement refs are probably happy to be out of the spotlight too, but one member of that is speaking out about what it was like to watch the call unfold on that field. here's abc's john schriffen. >> reporter: on three, let's go, refs? this nfl sunday the men in stripes got the unusual superstar treatment from the fans, excited to see the regular referees back in action, their labor dispute forced to an end after this blown call last week by their replacements. >> the game's final play. >> reporter: in monday's night game between the packers and the seahawks, the jump ball appears to be grabbed by green bay. >> who do they give it to? touchdown. feels like a jennings interception. >> reporter: but they gave the call and the win to seattle sparking national outrage and ridicule. the nfl received 70,000 phone complaints. even "saturday night live" couldn't resist. >> time of death, 2:15. >> no, no, no, i'm not dead. and also, it's 4:30. [ whistle ] >> reporter: one man who wasn't laughing, replacement referee
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mike peek, he was on the field working that game. >> to see the game fall apart at the end, it was really one of those things that make you want to go in the back room and cry a few tears. >> reporter: although he didn't make the call, this community college teacher from texas with 13 years of division i college reffing experience stands by his fellow fill-ins. >> if somebody asks me if it was a good call or bad call, it depends where you live. >> reporter: and now with the regulars back on the field in full force today, it seems they're still at the mercy of the players, coaches and fans. >> number 29, defense, first down. >> reporter: and after all, all referees are still only human. as for the regular refs, they're used to fans second-guessing their calls on the field, but their decision to hold out earned them a new eight-year deal that increases their pay and their pension, david. >> good for them but even today the honeymoon was quickly over. >> the fans weren't happy after the ref made a call against their team.
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back in this country an earthquake struck just outside dallas overnight rattling dishes and some nerves there. the 3.5 magnitude quake was followed by a few minutes later a 3.1 aftershock. although it hit right by the dallas/ft. worth airport, flight operations remain normal. 911 operators were flooded with calls, but the damage was minimal. back in this country, an inspiring homecoming at one michigan high school. sophomore whitney kropp found out she had been nominated for homecoming queen and learned it was all a cruel joke. that's when her family and friends and entire town took action with a support whitney facebook page. they donated a prom dress and flowers came from all over the country, and she proudly accepted her nomination. she didn't win the crown, but you can see her standing in front of the whole community that got her there. when we come back on the broadcast tonight, why christmas has come early to one american town, and when you see this 5-year-old, you just might want to put up your lights too. ♪
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and finally tonight here, it still says september on the calendar, but in one virginia town, it looks a lot like late december, all because of a little boy's christmas wish coming true. little 5-year-old nathan norman is getting the mail and lots of it. so much so, his entire family right there helping him, mom, dad, his sister there too. >> you got it? >> reporter: their mailbox already overflowing with christmas cards. >> nathan, racing in to wish you a merry christmas. >> reporter: the holiday coming early for a boy who wanted it to. nathan has been fighting cancer since he was just a year old. his mom and dad and the phone calls had come at all hours of the day. >> it's never good when the doctor's office calls you after hours. >> reporter: what started as
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brain cancer has spread. he's had surgery and chemotherapy, and he's fighting it, but his latest scan showed the tumors have been stubborn, and even at 5, knowing he's up against a fight, he said that the one thing that would make him happy, get him through it is to celebrate an early christmas. >> nathan had asked when we got home, if we would put up our christmas tree and our lights, that he thought that would make him feel better. >> reporter: and this weekend it wasn't just christmas at nathan's house. >> hello. >> reporter: it was christmas all through the neighborhood. the people next door putting up their christmas lights too, and indoors nathan was invited to decorate their tree, even the christmas cookies. >> sugar cookie is your favorite, right? >> reporter: the neighbors telling little nathan and his family, we're in this together. >> we've pretty much walked this journey with him since the beginning, and so it was never really a question of if we were going to do it. when he asked for it to be christmas in the middle of september, you just do it. >> and so what we have right now is christmas on september 26th,
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2012. >> reporter: aware of the fight ahead for nathan, they still plan on celebrating christmas with him on december 25th, but they're hoping an early christmas gift and a neighborhood behind him will get him there. >> if he asks us to leave it up, we may leave it up all year because, you know, in all honesty, every day should be like christmas. i mean we should always have that spirit of christmas in us. >> the american town where the holl lay lights will be up through christmasment we're pulling for nathan. that is the broadcast this sunday night. we're always online at abcnews.com. "good morning america" first thing in the morning and diane sawyer right back here tomorrow night. from all of us here, have a good evening. good night.
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the search for two people after a boat capsizes and get ready to pay more tore grocery store. the new law that will force shoppers to pay for grocery bags. abc7 news at six starts now. >> a frightening afternoon on highway 101 near san carlos after one person was shot and then swerved across the highway and crashed. good evening, i'm allen long. it happened around 3:30 near the holly street exit in san carlos. we are there live with the very late he felt. >> allen, we are here on the shoulder of south bound 101 above the holly street exit. the holly street exit is now closed. you see behind me the sheriff's department and

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